Discovery of Ancient Plague DNA in Egyptian Mummy Offers New Insights

One of the oldest known cases of the Yersinia pestis bacterium, responsible for the Black Death, has been identified in the DNA of a 3,290-year-old Egyptian mummy, the Daily Mail reports.

This discovery marks the first confirmed instance of the disease outside Eurasia and provides critical clues about its historical spread.

The mummy, an adult male from Egypt’s New Kingdom era (1686–1449 BCE), was analyzed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers in Italy. Their findings, based on samples taken from the Museo Egizio’s collection in Turin, offer molecular evidence of the presence of the plague in ancient Egypt.

Using advanced genetic techniques such as shotgun metagenomics, researchers examined the mummy’s bone tissue and intestinal contents. Initial testing detected traces of Y. pestis, which were then confirmed through genome-wide sequencing. The analysis revealed an advanced stage of the disease, suggesting the individual had suffered from bubonic plague before death.

Y. pestis, known for causing the Black Death pandemic that killed nearly 50 million people in medieval Europe (1346–1353), has a history of devastating outbreaks. Until now, its presence in ancient Egypt was only hypothesized, based on indirect evidence such as descriptions in the Ebers Papyrus and traces of the bacterium found in Nile rats and fleas.

This discovery supports theories that the plague may have spread through trade routes in North Africa before reaching Europe, challenging earlier assumptions that it moved exclusively from east to west. The presence of the disease during Egypt’s New Kingdom era predates other known outbreaks, including the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century CE.

The DNA extracted from the mummy provides researchers with an opportunity to study how Y. pestis evolved over millennia. Comparisons between the ancient Egyptian strain and those from the Middle Ages and modern times may reveal critical changes in the pathogen’s virulence and transmission.

This find also highlights the broader impact of the plague across different regions and historical periods, emphasizing the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations through trade and migration.

Bubonic plague, the most common form of Y. pestis infection, typically spreads through fleas carried by animals like rats. It causes swollen lymph nodes, fever, and other systemic symptoms. Though deadly in the past, the disease is now treatable with antibiotics.